Online shopping is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that spans the globe. People all over choose to buy online because it is simple, easy to price compare, and is relatively low pressure. Plus, they can do it from the comfort of their own home if they choose to.

And in response, as I mentioned above, website owners worldwide are jumping in and building their very own eCommerce shop so they too can reap the benefits online shopping brings to business owners.

But what if you are just starting out in the eCommerce biz? How are you supposed to know what you need on your website in order to securely collect payments from your customers?

If this is something you are struggling with, keep reading. Today I have a list of what it takes for you to accept payments on your website so that you too can generate revenue from the slew of online shoppers that prefer to buy online. Click to continue reading…

If you have an existing WordPress website and are finally getting around to turning it into an online shop, the WooCommerce plugin is a reliable, affordable, and painless way of doing so.

WooCommerce is one of the most popular free eCommerce solutions on the market today. It is easy to set up, offers plenty of design and functionality straight out of the box, and even has free and premium extensions for taking your online store to the next level.

It has exceptional visual appeal, lots of built-in functionality, and gives you complete control over every element of your online store so you can sell physical, digital, and virtual products with ease from your website.

In addition, it comes with the ability to extend beyond what you could ever imagine, includes extensive documentation for troubleshooting, and in some instances has a support team on hand to help you with any glitches or security issues.

eCommerce Platform Options for Online Shop Owners

WooCommerce is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms on the market today. It is great for those testing the eCommerce waters thanks to its low cost and ease of use. WooCommerce comes as a free WordPress plugin, which is perfect for those who already have a WordPress website. In addition, it also offers additional free and premium extensions you can purchase to extend your shop’s functionality.

Sell both physical and digital goods

Built-in payment gateways include PayPal, BACs, and cash on delivery

Mobile responsive design for selling to customers on all devices

Sucuri auditing ensures top notch security measures

Scalability allows your shop to grow

All shop data is independent of third-party software, meaning you own it all

Shopify is a great option for small to medium sized businesses looking to operate an online shop with very little coding knowledge. It mimics a website builder This means you have access to all the tools, hosting services, and customization options you need to build a successful online shop that sells both digital and physical products.

Online shopping cart integration

Easy to use drag & drop store builder

Accept payments from any device – sell online, on social media, in store, or on-the-go

PrestaShop is great for those starting small that want to grow big in the future. This scalability, as well as its low cost to use (no monthly or transactional fees), is what makes it one of the leading eCommerce platforms for small, medium, and large online shops.

Over 50 payment solutions to choose from

Build website from the ground up using website building tools

Over 600 customizable features for branding and personalization

Adapt to international customers by setting global currencies and translating content

Magento is an eCommerce platform for major online retail shops. It houses your entire store in the cloud and ensures fast delivery of content to customers, no matter where they come from. Magento also guarantees that large retail shops experiencing unexpected sales can rest easy knowing their site will never crash.

BigCommerce is designed for online stores earning millions in sales. In addition to your online shop, list your products on Amazon, eBay, and Facebook. Build a beautiful storefront, market to new customers, and manage your store using this full-featured CMS.

Maximize uptime using BigCommerce’s secure hosting services

International selling options

Marketing tools such as built-in banners, product comparisons, and live chats

Responsive, pre-built templates

Built-in blogging platform

Easy migration of growing shops to BigCommerce platform

Price: $29.95/month

Final Thoughts

In the end, there are so many eCommerce platform options to choose from that the thought of deciding which one to use can be extremely challenging.

Hopefully this roundup of popular choices leads you in the right direction. This way, you can concentrate on boosting sales rather than building your online shop.